MALAYSIA

THE three childhood friends were on their way to Changloon in Kedah, Malaysia, for tea.

They never made it.

All three died after their Proton Wira crashed into four cows at 2.40am on Saturday along the North-South Highway in Jitra.

Mechanics Mohd Ridzuan Abu Bakar, 26, Rozaidi Abdul Rahman, 25 and Mohd Fauzi Zakaria, 26, who was driving, were friends who have known each other since primary school.

The former two died instantly while the driver died on the way to hospital.

Visibility was said to be poor as there were no street lights, reported China Press.

They were believed to have been speeding and were unable to stop the car in time.

After hitting a cow, the driver apparently lost control of the car. The vehicle hit the road divider and veered onto a grass patch.

Mr Mohd Fauzi and Mr Mohd Ridzuan were thrown out of the car while Mr Rozaidi was trapped inside. One of the cows landed on top of the car, reported The Star.

Mr Rozaidi's mother, Madam Zainah, told China Press that she rushed from Alor Star to Jitra Hospital at 3am. She said that she had not seen her son since late November as she's divorced from his father.

A spokesman for the company in charge of the highway in Jitra said cows have often been seen in the area where the men crashed. The company has urged the farmer to keep his cows away, but the warnings have gone unheeded.

He added that both plots of land on either side of the road are private property, so setting up fence was not possible.

A police spokesman said that they will issue summons to the owner of the cow farm.